The Lost One
by Confuzzzed
Summary: Voldemort attacks Godric's Hollow, killing Lily and James. Peter is caught, Sirius and Remus go into mourning for the loss of their god-son, but is he dead? Albus sends Snape to find out.
1. Snape Searches

The Lost One  
  
By: Confuzzzed  
  
Authors Note: I apologize to the readers of "Family Matters" I know I have not uploaded a new chapter for quite a while. I promise to have at least one chapter up before Thanksgiving. Anywho on to this story. Promise to post more if people like it.  
  
-------------------------------  
  
Severus Snape apparated to Godric's Hollow two days after the attack to see if he could find any clues that both Albus and the Aurors missed in their search for young Harry. It was well hidden that Severus was a VERY close friend of the Potters, but Albus had somehow guessed and sent him to look. The bodies of both elder Potters were already buried per the commands of their wills but Harry was missing. They had found no sign of the two year- old, aside from a bit of his blood on the nursery floor near the body of his mother and the remains of Lord Voldemort. The Aurors figured that Harry might have been obliterated by the same spell, which destroyed 'He Who Must Not Be Named'. Some believed that 'He Who Must Not Be Named' did not go alone to the Potters as thought; and another person kidnapped the toddler. Albus and the Order thought that Harry might have escaped, being sent by port-key or floo to a safe zone somewhere. Snape knew that Voldemort had gone alone, as he was the Order's Spy that had gotten that bit of information for them. However, he was not going to make any assumptions till he got to search some. He hoped that his godson was ok though, aside from the bad impressions that Harry's other godfathers had already made on him. Hell.. One had betrayed the Potters to Voldemort and the other two had gone into seclusion to mourn for who knows how long.  
  
Severus slowly let himself into James' and Lily's home. It was dark and cold. Very much unlike the warmth and light that usually filled the house. but he had to admonish himself before he started dwelling on their death again. He was here to look for clues. not get depressed over the past. Igniting a fire in the Living room fireplace with his wand, he found the light switch and started searching there.  
  
He had searched the living room, dining room, kitchen, and the library/office, but no sign or hint of Harry. Although he did find a pile of un-filed pictures on Lily's desk that she had not placed into a photo album yet (as the Aurors left everything as it was found). he flipped through them. They were from a picnic that they had just before the Potters had gone back into hiding in mid-July. They would be in hiding for Harry's second birthday, so it had also doubled as an early birthday party for the energetic green-eyed toddler. Snape had pulled out a few of the photos and pocketed them before heading upstairs to continue searching.  
  
He stopped shortly on the stairs to admire some of Lily's wolf photos. Pausing at a picture of himself, he shook his head and continued upstairs. He quickly but thoroughly looked through the master bedroom and bath. Not wanting to linger their longer as it was just strange to go in there when he had only gone in their once prior to visit with Lily just after Harry's birth. The last rooms to check were the nursery and Harry's bathroom off of it.  
  
Slowly Severus walked slowly to the nursery. Harry's snitch nightlight was still plugged in. Casting a golden glow from its place between Harry's smaller toddler bed and the larger twin bed that they had been trying to get him to start sleeping in. Severus turned on the lights to look around and he saw the familiar toys and stuffed animals in their usual places. Snape quickly spotted the bloodstain on the bright rug made of colorful squares near the bathroom, that he had bought a copy of for Lily. After she had seen his rug and had fallen in love with it. He rubbed the rug with a hand as he knelt on it. Looking sadly to the last place he had to look, he was surprised to see a tiny smear of blood on the closed mural covered bathroom door. At Harry's hand level too.  
  
[Dun dun dun...] 


	2. Laundry Chute Chaos

Laundry Chute Chaos  
  
Severus entered the sea theme bathroom and looked everywhere. From inside the bathtub to under the sink. till he bumped into the laundry chute. which was open. Lily had mentioned at the party that Harry seemed to be drawn to the silver door in his bathroom. and she had taken to keeping an eye on him in the bathroom since he figured out how to reach it. Who knows what he might put down it. but Severus quickly thought. It was big enough. And if Harry managed to get onto the counter using his step stool. he could get to it. But where did it go? There was no basement to the house. And he never recalled seeing a laundry machine anywhere.  
  
There was a note about laundry on Lily's desk he recalled. racing back downstairs to check. Sure enough. there was a neatly written reminder for Lily to ask Simon to use a detergent with less scent on Harry's clothes, as he seemed to have developed and allergy to strongly scented detergents and soaps.  
  
Simon was James' person house elf, but there were no house elves at the cottage in Godric's Hollow.. Just at the Potter Estate, which had been closed since their move to the cottage as far as he knew. but just maybe. Severus turned off the lights and extinguished the fire. Closing the door behind him, he reset the wards around the house and apparated to the Potter Estate in Scotland. He was lucky that the Estate wards still allowed him through. He strode right up to the house, and although he had to use a strong unlocking charm on the door, he had no problems getting in. It seemed that the house elves had abandoned the Estate however, judging by the dust on the floor and the furniture covers. He easily located the stairs down to the dimly window-lit House Elf quarters, as the Estate was similar in its design to Snape Manor. He tried door after door down there.. Finding small beds, storage areas, and lots of closets full of boxes but no washroom yet.  
  
Severus headed back toward the stairs and noticed a silver chute on the wall next to the stairs that went into a closet under the stairs. Curious, he followed it down another set of smaller stairs into a very cold pitch- black hallway. Lighting his wand, he made his way to a closed door, which turned out to be the laundry room. Trying to turn on a bright light, he figured out that the power had been disconnected. He glared a little at the stupid power company and brightened his wand some more. Blinking in surprise at how dust-free this one room was. He made out two chutes with baskets of clothes under them. once he got closer he saw that the one filled with toddler-sized clothes was tipped over. another patch of blood on one of the small shirts. He knew Harry could not open doors, and he had closed the door to the laundry room behind him. so Harry was in this room somewhere. "Harry?" he called softly. not wanting to frighten the toddler.  
  
He dug into the other basket, but there was little in it. and no Harry. Turning to look around the bare room he saw a large pile of bedding on the far side of the washer. just as he stepped in a pile of poop. He groaned silently and rubbed it off on some of the laundry on the floor. He knelt next to the pile, calling Harry's name again softly. but there was no movement. So he slowly started digging into the pile, finding a small set of PJ bottoms, a diaper, and small socks partway in. He kept digging and felt a body under a few more layers, but it was shivering. "Harry. it's uncle Severus" he said softly. but the shivering continued. He pulled away the last few layers of bedding and revealed a small husky like wolf cub, in a PJ top, that was curled up shivering fiercely, and so weak that it could not lift it's own head to look at him. Severus "just knew" that this was Harry as he wrapped him up in some of the bedding to keep him warm before tucking the bundle into his robes with a warming charm. From the cubs coloring, which was a mix of James and Lily's in wolf form, to the short glimpse of tired emerald eyes that he had gotten when wrapping the cold cub up.  
  
He immediately headed upstairs and contacted Albus @ Hogwarts by firecall. who had him floo with Harry directly to his office.  
  
---------------  
  
Will Post Next Chapter Soon.  
  
Thanks for the comments purplefirepheonixx and kate potter.  
  
I was a little skeptical about posting the first chapter too. as it is a little short I know. but I needed to finish fixing up this chapter and the next.  
  
I heart3 reviews!  
  
-Confuzzzed-  
  
------------------ 


	3. Snug as a bug in a rug Kinda…

Snug as a bug in a rug... Kinda.  
  
-Tear- I heart3 reviews!!!  
  
Harry's shivering had begun to loose a bit of its fierceness as Albus walked with them to the Hospital Wing, where Harry could be looked at by Madam Pomfrey, and changed back to his regular form. When they got there they were surprised when Harry could not be changed back by a general reversal spell. Pompy just went on ahead warming and feeding Harry in puppy form since he needed it badly no matter his form. She also gently cleaned the clotted blood off of Harry's forehead and muzzle, along with some on his paws. (Using it to verify his identity) After that, she worked to get the PJ top off of him without waking him, as he finally just fell into an exhausted sleep in her arms after a small bottle of warm milk and two more warming charms. She cuddled him gently in the crook of her arm as she mussed up the sheets on one of the beds to make a nest of sorts to lay him in, before she covered him with layers of thick warm blankets and comforters as he was quite cold still. When she was done, all you could see was a small black nose and a bit of white muzzle sticking out, and a slight rise and fall of the mound of sheets.  
  
Albus and Severus had been speaking quietly in the corner while Pompy had been working and she now joined them. "Why won't he change back?" she asked, a bit worried. "I believe that Lily did not transfigure Harry." Albus said. Receiving a shocked face from the nurse, and a confused one from Severus. "I need to look in my private library, but sometimes, when I child sees something so traumatic, or has to go through something horrendous for such a long period; their magic actually changes them into a comforting form to help them deal. Voldemort's attack and the deaths must have shocked him badly," Albus guessed. Pompy nodded. "The wolf form would be the most comforting one for the boy." "Harry hates the dark too. and there was no light down there." Severus recalled.  
  
"I do recall one case," Dumbledore added, "It happened to a Magical Creature Breeder's daughter after she was locked in a closet with a bogart for two hours; except she turned into a lion. We'll just have to look into some cures and keep a good eye on Harry in the meantime." Both nodded and Albus headed off for the library. Pompy asked Severus to watch over Harry as she went to dig out any relevant Medical Journal. Severus stood by Harry's bed, and then eventually sat on a chair next to the bed when Pompy took her time returning. Nearly crushing the photos in his pocket. He pulled them out and flipped through them again.  
  
There was a picture of Harry, in human form, with his small arms around Severus' neck as he was in his wolf form. One of Harry riding Sirius as he raced in circles around Remus, and one of James and Lily sitting on the grass, a barely standing on his own Harry holding out a small flower he had picked for them. He had planned to send the photo of Harry, Sirius, and Remus to them. to help with their grief; but the knowledge that Harry was alive would probably be better for them to hear before the next full moon. He made plans to go see them in person as soon as Pompy returned to keep an eye on Harry.  
  
-----------------------  
  
Will have another chapter up tomorrow hopefully. before I drive down to my parents house to celebrate thanksgiving with the family. 


End file.
